Stop Chasing Skinny Episode #22 – The Burnout Specialist – How to Get Re-Inspired in Your Career with Ben Fanning

Stop Chasing Skinny Episode #22

The Burnout Specialist – How to Get Re-Inspired in Your Career with Ben Fanning

Ben Fanning is Chief Burnout Officer and the world’s leading authority on creating the job you love. He helps professionals create the job they love without quitting. Quitting isn’t always an option, or the best option and the grass is not always greener on the other side.

I invited Ben onto the show so he could share some of his insights into how to make the absolute best out of any work situation. Having these tools can lead to more fulfillment, better balance, and ultimately a FitLife.

I spent almost 12 years working in the engineering field, first as a nuclear engineer in the US Navy and then as a software systems engineer in the defense contracting world. While I was challenged, I wasn’t fulfilled during those years.

My lack of fulfillment lead to struggles with my weight and especially eating habits, but it wasn’t until the end of those 12 years that I made the connection between the two. Listen to how you can improve your work environment today:

Show Notes

 

I was super excited to interview Ben on the show. I spent a ton of years feeling very unfulfilled in my work and quite possibly an equal number of years burning myself out in the things I loved too. What can I say… I’m passionate about everything I do.

How Ben and I Met:

As you can tell from the show title (Stop Chasing Skinny), this is a show that doesn’t just focus on workouts and food but also everything else that plays into creating a fitlife. From my time on this earth and in this field, most of our efforts, focus, concerns are on 2 things… relationships and career. If one of those or both of those are not healthy, it throws everything else out of balance. 

I spent several years deriving challenge, accomplishment, and fulfillment from my competitive fitness hobby. I then positioned myself so that I could transition from my current position as a defense contractor to launching my fitness business. Not everyone is made for such a drastic and risky move and not everyone needs to leave their current work environment. What I love about Ben’s book and his coaching is that he helps people rediscover what initially lit them up when they first started down the path they started on.

Ben and I met by chance through social media… Ben tells us the story of how we met because it’s pretty funny (at the 4:00 mark). For links to the two people and organizations mentioned, click here:

Natalie Sisson, The Suitcase Entrepreneur

Scott Dinsmore, Live Your Legend

How did you become the Burnout Specialists?

The title alone tells me you have been down a tough path that brought you many opportunities for growth and you took them and used them.

What are some of the warning signs of burnout?

For both leadership and team members? I think we often forget that people really don’t love to mess things up. We don’t do it on purpose. We do it because we are stressed, don’t feel like it matters, in extreme cases are trying to get fired, etc.

What are the top 3 things they can do to re-ignite their passion for their profession?

I love to give my listeners actionable information that they can take and immediately implement.

And to tie this all back into fitness, I want to share how my career change has helped my health improve. I feel fulfilled by my work and no longer take disproportionally large pleasure in food. I have much less anxiety and sleep more which in turn helps my weight stay at a healthy level because I am not spiking my cortisol levels day in and day out. Those are just a few things that have improved since my satisfaction in my job has improved. Whether you stay where you are or you go to a different place, your level of satisfaction does impact your health. Better to make the best of it, right?